[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"\u002Farticles\u002Fit-had-better-be-true":3,"\u002Farticles\u002Fit-had-better-be-true-surround":62},{"id":4,"title":5,"author":6,"bibleBooks":8,"body":13,"columnName":42,"date":45,"description":19,"extension":46,"image":47,"meta":48,"minRead":49,"navigation":50,"path":51,"postType":52,"publication":53,"publicationUrl":47,"seo":54,"stem":55,"topics":56,"__hash__":61},"blog\u002Farticles\u002Fit-had-better-be-true.md","It Had Better Be True",{"name":7},"Dave Faust",[9,10,11,12],"Colossians","Luke","1 Corinthians","2 Timothy",{"type":14,"value":15,"toc":41},"minimark",[16,20,23,26,29,32,35,38],[17,18,19],"p",{},"When you go to the hospital for surgery, you count on the doctors and everyone else in the operating room to be professional, skillful, and trustworthy. You ask questions like, “What is the success rate of this procedure? Are there other options I should consider?” You might ask the surgeon, “How many of these operations have you done, and how did they turn out?”",[17,21,22],{},"When you step onto an airplane, you trust that the pilot is well-trained and sober-minded. You make judgment calls about the airline’s reputation, safety record, and on-time performance.",[17,24,25],{},"When you hand your hard-earned money to a bank teller, you rely on the financial institution to fulfill its commitments and protect your assets. You might ask, “What interest rate will I receive? What fees are required? Is my investment FDIC insured?”",[17,27,28],{},"If you are so careful with your health, safety, and money, what level of certainty do you desire when it comes to the status of your soul? It is foolish to be casual and careless about such an important matter.",[17,30,31],{},"Careful Investigation",[17,33,34],{},"Two books of the New Testament were penned by the inspired writer known as “our dear friend, Luke, the doctor” (Colossians 4:14). In light of all the physical hardships the apostle Paul endured, it’s interesting that God graciously provided a personal physician to accompany Paul on some of his missionary journeys. Well-educated and articulate, Dr. Luke was a meticulous historian who “carefully investigated everything” so he could write “an orderly account” (Luke 1:3) in his Gospel and its companion volume, the book of Acts. Why was Luke so scrupulous in his approach? Because he wanted his readers to “know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (v. 4).",[17,36,37],{},"I appreciate Luke’s thoroughness and accuracy because I am staking my eternity on the fact that Jesus of Nazareth is “God’s Messiah” (Luke 9:20). It had better be true, or my Christian faith is based on a lie. I believe “everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:10), but if Jesus didn’t say that or mean it, then many of us have wasted a lot of time in prayer. Jesus told his disciples to “seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well” (Luke 12:31); but if Jesus never said those words, why not pursue other priorities? According to Jesus, the Good Shepherd notices when even one percent of his flock is missing (Luke 15:3-7); but if God doesn’t really care about seeking lost people, why should you and I bother? If we can’t trust what Jesus said about eternal life, on what basis do we have any hope at all? If Jesus didn’t suffer on the cross and rise from the dead (Luke 24:46), our faith is futile and we are still in our sins (1 Corinthians 15:17).",[17,39,40],{},"Aren’t you thankful for Spirit-led authors like Dr. Luke whom God used to give us the Scriptures? We stake our eternity on the precious truths recorded in the Bible. Our faith isn’t rooted in “godless myths and old wives’ tales” (2 Timothy 4:7). We’re relying on the gospel of grace, counting on the trustworthy words of Jesus, standing on the promises of God.",{"title":42,"searchDepth":43,"depth":43,"links":44},"",2,[],"December 2018","md",null,{},3,true,"\u002Farticles\u002Fit-had-better-be-true","column","The Lookout",{"title":5,"description":19},"articles\u002Fit-had-better-be-true",[57,58,59,60],"Biblical Theology","Church Leadership","Perseverance in Suffering","Spiritual Formation","3TGAMVsOV6uKC3g0lkO5xg60OqxNQtHl5iKYKmwyTtA",[63,68],{"title":64,"path":65,"stem":66,"description":67,"children":-1},"Is Your Worship Worthwhile?","\u002Farticles\u002Fis-your-worship-worthwhile","articles\u002Fis-your-worship-worthwhile","Last December my wife and I attended a holiday concert at our daughter's high school. The choir and orchestra performed traditional selections from \"Deck the Halls\" to \"Joy to the World,\" and concluded with a rousing rendition of Handel's \"Hallelujah Chorus.\" It was powerful music with a powerful message—but my enjoyment deflated a bit when I read a disclaimer printed at the bottom of the program. It said: \"This presentation of traditional holiday music includes incidental religious content. This content does not constitute an endorsement by the school district of any religion or religious doctrine.\"",{"title":69,"path":70,"stem":71,"description":72,"children":-1},"It's a Sic, Sic World [sic]","\u002Farticles\u002Fit-s-a-sic-sic-world-sic","articles\u002Fit-s-a-sic-sic-world-sic","Have you ever been reading along when suddenly a [sic] jumped out of nowhere? From the Latin for \"so\" or \"thus,\" sic means \"intentionally so written.\" According to the dictionary, it shows that a printed word or passage \"exactly reproduces an original.\""]